The West Africa Study Circle
Constitution
and
Rules
2014
The West Africa Study Circle
Constitution and Rules - These rules were adopted by the Extraordinary General Meeting of 6 March 1999 and replace all previous rules. This documentincludes amendments adopted at the Extraordinary General Meeting held in London on 1st March 2014.
1.Name
The Circle shall be called The West Africa Study Circle.
2.Objects
The objects and aims of the Circle shall be the study of the postage stamps and postal history of West Africa (and including St Helena, Ascension and British Postal Agencies in Madeira, Tenerife, St. Vincent and Fernando Po), and such other related studies as may from time to time be determined by the Circle in General Meeting: and the diffusion of the findings of such study (by Cameo, study papers, bulletins, displays, books, talks etc.). The circle may also facilitate the acquisition and disposal by members of philatelic material, by holding auctions, bourses, and exchange sessions.
Editors for each study area shall be appointed as desirable from within the membership of the Circle.
3.Membership
Any prospective member must apply in writing with the names of two referees (Note: This requirement is waived from March 2003). A copy of these rules will then be sent to him/her. The committee will decide whether or not to accept such an application, but shall be under no obligation to disclose the reasons for its decision. The application will only become final on receipt of the current subscription and joining fee.
Admission to membership shall be deemed to signify complete acceptance by the member of the current rules of the Circle and agreement unreservedly to abide by them.
Annual subscriptions, payable in advance, shall become due on January 1 each year. Where a subscription is three months in arrears, membership shall be deemed to have lapsed. Membership may be reinstated at the discretion of the Committee, by payment of the annual subscription.
Any member, by ordinary resolution at an Annual General Meeting, may be elected an honorary life member and no prior notice of such a resolution shall be required.
British and overseas societies and study groups with related interests may apply for Associate Membership on such terms as may be determined by the Committee. A member may resign at any time by written notification to the Secretary but no refund of subscription shall be due.
The Committee shall have power to terminate membership and shall not be under any obligation to disclose the reasons for its decision. In such an event termination of membership shall be deemed to become effective one calendar month after written notification shall have been sent by special delivery first class mail to the last known address of the member concerned.
4.Management
Office holders shall be elected by the members in General Meeting and shall be subject to re-election every second year at the appropriate Annual General Meeting. The office holders shall comprise:
- President- elected for one term of office only
- Vice President- elected for one term of office only
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Cameo Editor
- Librarian
- Auctioneer
- Membership Secretary
- Advertising Manager
- Auditor
- Representative in North America and Assistant Honorary Treasurer
Subject to the approval of a General Meeting, additional offices may be created from time to time. A member may hold more than one office simultaneously.
Management shall be vested in a Committee comprising, by virtue of their office, all the above office-holders with the exception of the Auditor. In addition, members who are study editors or past presidents may be co-opted by the Committee.
A quorum of the Committee shall comprise not less than five members at least two of whom shall be the President, Vice President, or any past president.
The Committee may set up sub-committees for any purpose (e.g. Membership, Publications, Commemorations etc.). At least one member of any such sub-committee shall be a current office-holder of the Circle.
The Committee shall have power to affiliate the Circle to other Philatelic bodies.
5.General Meetings
A general meeting of members shall be held in every calendar year for the purpose of election of officers when necessary, adoption of audited accounts, submission of reports by officers and study editors and from others as may be desirable, and for the conduct of any other ordinary business of the Circle. Such meetings shall be known as Annual General Meetings.
An Extraordinary General Meeting of members may be called at any time either by the President, or by any five members of the Committee acting together, or by any 20 members acting together, who shall send to the Secretary a signed request for such a meeting. Whereupon the Secretary shall within one calendar month of the receipt of such request issue a notice convening such a meeting and such notice shall contain the nature of the business proposed.
Notice of all General Meetings shall be despatched to all members, and by airmail to overseas members, at least 28 days prior to the date of the meeting. Notice may alternatively be sent by electronic means to members who have opted to receive communications in this manner.
At all General meetings the President shall be the Chairman. In his absence the Vice-President shall preside, or failing him the members present shall elect a past president as Chairman or in the absence of such a person any member of the Committee shall be eligible.
Ten members present at any meeting in addition to the Chairman of the meeting shall constitute a quorum.
In the absence of a quorum the meeting shall stand adjourned and the Committee shall cause a second notice to be issued with the same requirements as the first. At the resulting meeting those members present shall be entitled to transact the business of the meeting.
6.Business
The following shall constitute special business:
1Alteration of the Constitution and Rules of the Circle.
2Dissolution of the Circle.
3Any other matter which the Committee may in the notice convening the meeting state to be regarded as special business.
Every member present shall be entitled to one vote but in the event of there being an equality
of votes the Chairman of the meeting shall have the casting vote. Where proxy voting has
not been allowed by the Committee, only those members present shall be entitled to vote.
The Committee may, at its discretion, allow absent members to vote by proxy on a particular
item of business. Members may also request that a proxy vote be held on any matter by
contacting the Secretary, who will inform the Committee of any requests received. Where
proxy voting is to be allowed, at least 28 days notice shall be provided to all members.
Members may communicate their votes to the Secretary in writing or electronically, to reach
him or her at least 24 hours before the start of the meeting. Members may either cast their
own vote or allow the Chairman of the meeting to vote on their behalf. The Secretary shall
keep a record of each proxy vote received. Before the start of the meeting, the Secretary shall
inform the Chairman how many proxy voters have authorised him or her to vote on their
behalf.
In the event of a vote being taken on a resolution comprising special business, a majority of three-quarters of those voting shall be necessary for the resolution to be passed.
All other business at general meetings (“ordinary business”) shall be capable of being resolved by a simple majority of those voting.
7.Accounts and Funds
The Treasurer shall prepare at the end of each financial year an income and expenditure account together with a Balance sheet, which shall be audited by the Circle’s Auditor, and, after signature by the Treasurer and Auditor, be submitted for adoption at the next Annual General Meeting.
In the event of the dissolution of the Circle by resolution of the members, the Committee shall distribute any residual funds after the payment of all debts and obligations of the Circle, to one or more registered charities or to the Royal Philatelic Society, as the meeting may direct.
8.Copyright
All rights are reserved in any article, study, bulletin, journal, monograph, book, or similar published under the auspices of the Circle. No part of such a publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright holder; application for this should be addressed to the Secretary of the Circle. Such written permission must also be obtained before any part of such publication is stored in a retrieval system of any nature.
Permission may be given on behalf of the Committee jointly by the President and Secretary and such permission shall not unreasonably be withheld. If a member considers such permission to have been withheld unreasonably, that member shall have the right of recourse to a general meeting of members. However, if a publication is the exclusive work of a single author, that person will not be required to seek the Circle’s permission to use it elsewhere.
9.Rules
A copy of these Rules shall be sent by the Secretary to any member on request. The interpretation of these Rules shall be that decided by the Committee.